Social Distance Learning Project: Floating Egg

Here’s a quick and easy science experiment you can do with items that you likely have on hand!

Video Tutorial: floating egg

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a tall drinking glass ¾ full of tap water.
2. Carefully place the egg into the water…and watch it sink.
3. Now fill another tall drinking glass ¾ full of tap water and add 3 tablespoons of salt to it. Stir well.
4. Carefully place another egg into the salt water…and watch it float!

THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT:

The egg will sink in regular tap water because the density of the water is less than the density of the egg itself. Adding salt to the water increases its density, making it denser than the egg. As a result, the egg will float in the salt water.

TRY THIS:

Are there other liquids you can add to make the egg sink or float? What else can you dissolve in water that will make an egg float? Let us know your results!

Sponsored by National Grid.